Disappointing

I like Stephen Baxter as an author but this is definitely the third book of the NASA trilogy. Parts seemed like he had promised a certain number of words to the publisher and was struggling to
fulfill the commitment. The reader's incorrect/American pronunciation especially of place-names was annoying in the extreme. Overall, disappointing but don't let this put you off Stephen Baxter. He can and has done better!

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Fantastic story

Stephen Baxter’s science novels are always excellent. What a shame this narrator has once again been allowed to ruin parts of it with his mispronunciations, weird cadence and intonation, and especially by his horrendous accents.

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Fantastic story; tense. Should be a film

A great story about humankind's desire to explore; but also to break the rules; with undesirable consequences. The moon is a really underrated and under-explored rock and deserves more investigation. This book touches on that. I would recommend this; without a doubt.

I requested this book for my birthday 20 years ago after borrowing it from the library because I was enjoying it. I was bought the hardback version which was difficult to take around while I commuted... I started it three times and was cometary immersed but always got distracted about half way through. A few years ago, I found the book as paperback in a charity shop and started reading again. I've not picked the book up again for over 5 years though, only because I never have the mindset to read. When Covid hit, I started with Audible. I found this and was so excited! finally I get to finish the story. Stephen Baxter has written some truly amazing books, and also wrote a couple in collaboration with Arthur C Clarke. tThe Origins series is also good.

Not keen to give a bad rating; but the narrator started quite weakly and I couldn't get behind the delivery; especially the accents (a bit 'eek'). however this is a very personal preference. After having read most of the book, the delivery didn't match my expectations. However, it wasn't that bad... I persevered and what was annoying is now all white noise. He got much better later on. I often feel the authors should read the book as they intended it to be portrayed.

Altogether 9.5 out of 10 considering the narration.

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Unfortunately laughable accents and pronunciation

Oh if only they’d chosen a voice over person who had taken the time to speak to someone Scottish. The early parts of the book are lol badly pronounced, given the frequency of use of Edin-boro and Glas-gow along with characters who could come from Scotland Ireland Newcastle or Jamaica in a single sentence.

The story is good, a bit more fiction and a little less heavy going science than previous books in the trilogy, a fitting conclusion for those who made it past the reading.

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Great story, terrible delivery.

The story romps along - I'm enjoying it. But oh my - the accents. Given that the first few chapters are set in Scotland (Edin-burrow!!!) it would have been sensible to find a narrator willing to invest in a Scottish accent rather than mangling it. It's very off-putting.

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Narrator awful

sadly the narrator has ruined a very good Stephen Baxter novel. Disappointing as the voices and accents are frankly appalling.

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Accents

Hopefully the narrator never meets a Scottish listener nine ten eleven twelve thirteen fourteen OK?

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Pil are ising microscope please get someone who can read

I am only half way through and tired of all the mispronunciation.
I heard Edinburgh as Edinborough and mis pronounced so often or edin borough or Eden borough but never edinboro as we brits would say it.

Some times the words are so mangled I have to stop and try and work out what the original word was as the contextual clues are missing.

The word in the title of this review is Polarising Microscope which the reader mostly gets right.
It’s like learning a new language. If the words are always mispronounced then you learn to accept the change but when the reader can’t be consistent within the same paragraph.
“He entered the bus carrying his polarising microscope. As he sat he pushed the pillar ising microscope under the seat” WHAT!

All the characters sound the same. Irish Scottish Russian all the same accent and equally poor.

Story is riveting though so I couldn’t stop
Will they succeed
Can earth be saved
Are we all doomed
Don’t panic mr Mainwaring (I could forgive this as the pronunciation is Mannering)

Does anyone remember that time Robert DiNiro said “A Seville Row Suit” (why was it orange coloured?) when he read Ian Fleming’s Bond ?
Grahhh phatchew

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4 people found this helpful

Great story.

Narration is not great. He could have looked into basic thi gs like how to say words he obviously didn't know.

I read this book over 10 years ago and always wanted a audio version.

I will sum up the story:

"A disaster!!! Quickly, get an American. Any American will do.
Listen to me danm it, I'm an American"

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1 person found this helpful

Great story. Terrible Narrator

Exciting scifi disaster story. A part of it is set in the UK but the American narrator has obviously never heard of the places he describes judging by all the mispronounced cities!

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